Protector for electric-lamp sockets



(No Model.)

v C. P. REILLY. 8 PROTECTOR FOR ELECTRIC LAMP SOCKETS.

No. 382,110. Patented May 1', 1888.

ilulliinnnui III/VENTO/i ATTORNEY v nrrsn STATES PATENT- OFFICE.

CHRISTOPHER P. REILLY, OF NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF TWOTHIRDS TO THOMAS E.RYDER, OF WEST NEW BRIGHTON, NEW YORK.

PROTECTOR FOR ELECTRIC-LAMP SOCKETS.

SPECIFICATION forming pm of Letters Patent No. 382,110, sad May 1. 1888Application filed March 3, 1888. Serial No. 266.023.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER. P. REILLY,a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing in the city, county, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Protectors forElectric-Lamp Sockets; and I dohereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of my invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

In the use of electric incandescent lamps, especially in the open airand in places where steam is employed, great difficulty is experiencedin protecting thelamp-sockets from the effects of atmospheric moistureor steam, as the case may be. The effect of the moisture is to injurethe insulation or to effect a short circuit between the conducting partswithin the socket.

I am aware that attempts have been made to obviate this difficulty byplacing over the usual lamp a supplementary glass globe, and makingmoisture-tight connections between such globes and the fixture to whichthe lamp is attached. This construction is expensive, and at the sametime it causes a diminution in the lighting-power of the lamps, owing tothe presence of the supplementary globe acting,to some extent, as anobstruction to the passage of the light-rays from the filaments.

The object of the present invention is to pro vide means for protectingincandescent-lamp sockets without offering any obstruction to the light,or diminishing in any way the lighting-power of such lamps. The means bywhich I accomplish these results are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in Which-- Figure 1 shows an incandescent lamp with myimprovement attached, the improvement being shown in section. Fig. 2 isan elevation of my invention applied to a lamp.

In the drawings,A is an incandescent lamp, which may be of any desiredtype, and Bis a lamp-socket, the particular construction of which isalsoimmaterial. The drawings show a keyless socket, and my inventionwill usually be applied to that kind of a socket.

0 represents my improvement. It consists (No model.)

of a box or casing, D, surrounding the lamp- 5c socket. This casing isformed into or pro vided with a screw at the top, which engages with acorresponding screwon a cap, E, as shown. I prefer to make the cap andeasing of sheet metal, and to plate them externally with anon-oxidizable metal. These, however, are matters of detail. Between thecap and the body of the casing is placed a rubber gasket, F, thus makinga moisture-tight joint between the parts. The socket is screwed to aneck or coupling, G, which is adapted to be attached to a fixtureprovided for such purposes. At the lower end of the casing D is a smallbead, d. Connection is made between the casing and the lamp-socket bymeans, of a rubber sleeve, H, as is clearly shown in the drawings.

When it is desired to put up a lamp with my improvement attached,tl1ecap and gasket are first run onto the screw part of the coup 7o ling,and the socket is screwed into place Afterward the casing is screwed tothe cap and the lamp is attached to the socket, and the sleeve is drawnup over the bead. Of course the way in which these acts are performedcan 7 5 be varied at convenience. For example, a socket and casing mayboth be screwed into place at once, and the lamp may be put in place, ifdesired, before this coupling takes place, the sleeve being alsopreviously adjusted.

It is evidentthat this arrangement provides simple means for securing amoisture-tight covering around the lamp-socket. It also renders theparts easily accessible, and is simple 8 5 in construction, andinexpensive.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is-- 1. A covering forelectric-lamp sockets, which consists of a cap and easing partially osurrounding the socket and secured together by a moisture-tight joint,in combination with a rubber sleeve connecting the casing and thelamp-globe and making tight joints with each.

2. A covering for electric-lamp sockets, which consists of a cap and acasing partially surrounding the socket and making moisturetight jointswith each other, the said casing my name in the presence of twosubscribing beingiprovided with a head at its outer end in witnesses.com nation with a so t-rnbber sleeve, forming a tight joint with thelamp-globe, and CHRISTOPHER REILLY 5 adapted to fit over the bead,as andfor the pur- Witnesses:

1 pose set forth. 4 AUGUSTUS MERRITT,

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed G. H. STOCKBRIDGE.

